Author's Note: Sorry to keep all of my readers waiting. I have been overly busy with band and the beginning of our school's jazz ensemble : ) Well here is the long expected 8th chapter.

WHAM!

I felt my breath being slammed back into my chest.

"Watch where you're going bitch." The guy that bumped into me said. I was shocked that he thought he had the right to say that to me.

"Excuse me?" I said incredulously, putting my hands on my hips. His cronies sensing the new found fun all circled around grinning and laughing.

"You heard me." He said, walking up to me so we were eye to eye and a little bit too close for my liking. I raised my hand to slap him after his last comment. He caught my wrist right as it was about to connect with his face and held it in his iron grasp. He twisted it a bit but, I refused to show any pain. "Ha! Girl's got guts." He passed me to one of his friends who grabbed me by my shoulders. At this point I was livid. No guy touches me without my permission... EVER!

The boys passed me between the five of them. Taking turns making retarded jeers towards me. I whipped around at them before I felt myself being pulled back into a pair of more secure arms. I looked up into Kevin's face where he looked a bit more pissed than he probably should have been. Rob who was right behind him stepped in front of the two of us and surprisingly started talking to them. Cheryl who was also there watched on in apprehension

"What's your problem Jeff?" He asked, addressing the boy that had bumped into me.

He looked at Rob with a lazy expression before responding, "We were obviously bored and she just happened to be there and apparently wanted to play with us." He said winking at me. I felt Kevin's grip on my arm tighten about tenfold. I whimpered a bit and he gradually let go.

"That didn't look much like playing." Rob said.

"Well of course you wouldn't know what playing looks like seeing as your drumline came in last at finals last year." I watched Rob's face heat over and I completely expected a fight to start out. Cheryl rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder before he could throw a punch. She gave him a pleading look that he surprisingly seemed to respond to.

Rob looked back at Jeff and the rest of his drumline and said threw gritted teeth, "You watch. We'll beat your drum this year."

"Big words from a first year drum captain." Jeff said, causing the rest of his section to laugh.

"We'll see." Cheryl grabbed his arm and pulled him back before the hot-headed boys could really get started.

The four of us walked back towards the eating areas. There were more people here and it felt all together more safe.

"What were you doing with those asses?" Rob asked me.

"Minding my own business." I told him. He made it sound like I had chosen to hang around those jerks."I hope you beat them this year. What school are they from anyway?"

"They're from Lemont Creek High School." Kevin told me adding into the conversation. I nodded in response. That was when I realised that he had still not removed his gentle grip from my arm. Unlike Jeff, his touch was accepted.

There was a moment of silence between the four of us and this is when Kevin noticed that he was still holding onto me rather posssessively. He released me right away, and I saw a barely noticeable tinge of red touch his cheeks.

"Sorry." He apologised, which I thought was rather cute. I shrugged it off.

Cheryl and Rob watched us with funny looks on their faces, enjoying the entertainment that we gave them. Kevin added to their entertainment by touching my face with the tips of his fingers... which I found to be completely random. Kevin looked at Cheryl and Rob who were both grinning from cheek to cheek. Cheryl understood what Kevin wanted and dragged Rob by the shirt.

"Come on lets leave these two to themselves. They have obviously been waiting for a moment alone all night." Cheryl said, just trying to add on to our embarassment.

We watched them leave and as soon as Kevin was sure they were no where close by he looked back at me. Without any words he eagerly dragged me to a place where people couldn't watch us. I felt a mixture of feelings hit my stomach. There was excitement and fear and even a little bit of expectation. We stopped walking and Kevin pulled me into a small alcove. I looked up at his face. He was leaning into me for the second time in one day, which wasnt all that surprising. I could feel how close he was to me; hand to hand, leg to leg, mouth to...

Beep... Beep...Beep!

I looked at him with a very apologetic look on my face. He just backed away from me and put his hands in his pocket while I reached ino my jacket for the interruption.

"Hey mom." I said, taking the caller id into account. "Yeah. I'll be right there."

I hung up and looked over at Kevin. Everything became very awkward. The fact that it was my mom on the phone didn't help t he situation out either

"...Ummm... I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." I said.

"Yeah." I looked at him and sighed. He really was odd, one moment he would have my stomach completely tied in knots and the other half of the time he would act so distant towards me.

I started to run off to my mom's car trying to push my disappointment as far back in my mind as I could.

Kevin's POV

When I got back to the bus it was already crowded with people throwing around our first place trophy from the award ceremony that I had not attended. I grabbed the first seat at the front seeing no open seats in the back.

I used my solitude to beat myself up mentally. I had a feeling that this would be a long trip home.

Fia's POV

The warmth of my mom's car hit my face pleasantly as I settled in the front seat.

"So how was the competition?" My mom asked me.

"It was good."

"What place did they get?"

"Ummm..." I hadn't exactly stayed for the results, "I didn't find out."

Monday morning I got a text from Kevin as I was walking to class. It simply read:

-Prac after skool?

I shuffled my books around in my arms until I could text him back.

-sure. c u then

I was waiting for Kevin in our usual spot in the back room my Horn out and ready. In some ways waiting was torture. I didn't want to see him and yet at the same time I wanted to see him more than anyone else.

I looked over at the door as I heard the sound of a case hitting something in the other room. Seconds later Kevin shuffled into the room and smiled at me. I think that was the first time he had ever given me a full on smile.

By the end of practice the only thing that my lips had come in contact to was the cold mouthpiece of my French Horn. It was a bit of a let down but what did I expect... a hot make out scene with the boy of my dreams? Ha-ha I did not just think that.

Nope. Kevin was being entirely professional and instead he played the part of a gentlemen and held the doors for me as we left.

"So is your mom going to pick you up?" He asked me. I looked at him still half emersed in my daydreams.

"Huh?" I said, a bit dumbfounded.

"Is your mom going to pick you up?" He repeated.

"Ummm... ya." I thought and then it hit me... I hadn't called my mom to tell her I would be staying for a lesson! "Shit!"

Kevin looked at me with confusion, "What?"

"I'm sorry I have to go." I ran to the parking lot where I found my mom sitting in her car looking thouroughly pissed off.

I smiled at her sheepishly but, she just frowned back at me. I climbed in slowly waiting for the bomb to go off.

"I'm sorry." I said trying to sound as apologetic and small as I could, "I totally forgot."

"Okay listen, Fia. I do not understand what is going on with you lately. I have not heard you play one note from your Cello at all in the past few weeks. Not one. That is not like you at all." She started, and I had a feeling I knew exactly where this was all going. "I didn't mind at first that you stayed after school for lessons but, when you seriously start to slack off and then fail to tell me that your lessons are changing to Monday's it makes me a little bit mad. The other night when I took you to the performance you told me that you would be in the parking lot waiting for me and instead I wait around for twenty minutes before I finally decide to call you."

I cringed openly, it was all starting to sound bad on my part.

"I'm sorry mom, next time..." I tried.

"No!" She said with a bit of force, which kind of shook me. My mom never raised her voice... ever. "There will not be a next time. I do not want you to continue with the French Horn anymore."

"Mom!" I tried to protest. "That's not fair."

"It's not fair having me wait out here for you." She threw back at me. That made me feel really guilty. She looked at me and softened her gaze a bit."Listen Fia. We have invested a lot into your Cello, hoping that you would become great someday. It's our last chance for something big to happen. I need something in return from you now. The moment your father left was the day you needed to grow up." I looked at her extremely mad.

I ignored her comment about my father, "Why can't I be great at the French Horn?" I asked, already knowing it was an unreasonable question. It wasn't that I did not like playing Cello it was just that playing French Horn was a new experience.

"No more. I want you to return it to Mr Larsson tomorrow and thank him for considering you as a possible prodigy." She said. I felt my eyes tearing. Why did it all have to end? It wasn't fair. I really enjoyed making all of the new friends and meeting Kevin.

Kevin.

How could I face Kevin? No I wouldn't do that... especially not after all of the work that he had done to help me start on the French Horn.

I regretfully dragged my horn into Larsson's office the next day. I set it on his desk gently not wanting to hurt it in any way. He looked up at me a little bit skeptically.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked me. I just shook my head not able to say any words. It wasn't fair.

"Did you break it?" He asked me.

"No. Take it back." I said shortly.

Larsson looked at me as if I had gone crazy.

"What?"

"You heard me." I said, pissed off at myself more than him.

"Why?" He asked. Some tears spilled over. Why was I getting so emotional?

He looked at me steadily waiting for my answer. I finally got it out. "My mom said I had to. She told me to say thank you but, that I can't accept it."

"Is she worried about the money?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No she's just mad at me in general." He sighed and lay it down beside his desk.

"Okay then I guess I'll return it." He told me.

I turned to leave and found Kevin looking at me with shock written all over his face. No it wasn't just shock, there was so much to read from his face; anger, betrayal... sadness?

"You're quitting." He said, through gritted teeth.

No response.

"I can't believe you. I put all of these hours in for you just trying to help you. I didn't ask for any pay at all and now you're just giving in! I was right about you, you are just a snobbish orchestra kid." He said, looking at me with shock more than hate.

"Shut up." I told him barely audibly. "You wouldn't understand." The tears flew down my face more easily now. Larsson watched all of this from the comfort of his office chair.

Kevin looked at me a bit surprised. I didn't give him a chance to say anything else I pushed past him and out the orchestra rooms doors. I ignored the fact that he tried to reach out and pull me back as I left and just kept on going. I was so mad. I thought that we had gotten past the fact that I was from the orchestra and he was from the band.

Okay yeah I know... pretty cheesy right. At least you didn't see that coming. Well anyway some of the references to her father will be introduced more properly later on and also Fia's mom's reasons for getting rid of the french horn will become more blatant soon. I promise you those dumb reasons up there were not the only reasons. Well I hope that you liked that chapter and that it wasn't too much of a let down after not having written in for-ever! Sorry you know how stressful band season can get. Well R&R